Corporal Allen (1921-2003) was a Kirksville native who graduated
from Northeast Missouri State Teachers College with a BS in
Education in 1942. After graduation, he enlisted in the US
Army Air Force and spent the next three years at Herington where he
was Chaplain’s Assistant and base chapel organist. He joined
the music faculty at Indiana University in 1953 as instructor in
opera history and stage direction and as stage director for the IU
Opera Theatre. He was also host of “Your Sunday Opera” on the
university radio station WFIU, and continued that weekly broadcast
several years after his retirement in 1988. He died in
Bloomington, December 30, 2003.

Dr Ross C Allen (1884-1975), was a well-respected Kirksville
dentist from 1916 till the late 1960s. He was a 1910 graduate
of the First District Normal School (later NMSTC) and a 1916
graduate of the Washington University School of Dentistry in St
Louis. Floy Naomi (Howey) Allen (1887-1977), a native of Brashear,
MO, studied organ at the Conservatory of Music in Quincy, IL after
graduating from Kirksville High School. She was First Methodist
Church’s organist for over 50 years.

These letters were written as the Herington base was being
deactivated at the close of World War II. They are all “staying in
touch” letters, written on a daily, sometimes twice daily, basis.
Ross chats about things he is doing at work and leisure, places he
goes on his weekends away from base, popular radio shows, the latest
movies, his musical activities and friends at home, at the college
and on base.

The collection was a gift of Diane Richmond, Kirksville, MO, on
behalf of her parents-in-law, Richard L & Peggy Richmond, and their family. The
letters are protected under US Copyright Law
as it pertains to unpublished works. US Privacy laws may also
apply.

◙
Congratulations on your 26th wedding anniversary today ▪
Sgt Richard Concklin has received discharge due to wife
Mary’s illness and will go home to Long Island City ▪
Whittaker transferred to Roswell, NM (10/18); ◙ Elias
brothers new owners of the Kirksville Grand Leader store
(10/20); ◙ Met new Herington pastor, Rev Matthews,
and 4 of his 9 children (10/21) ◙ Mary Concklin broke
(or sprained) her ankle in auto accident; her son and
parents, the Duffs, unhurt ◙ Everyone remaining at
Herington as of midnight Oct 31 will be transferred to the
Air Transport Service Command ▪ Chaplain Pennekamp
transferred to Kearney, NE ▪ Percy Edgerly to be
discharged ▪ Erwin Peterson (of Kirksville) stationed
at McCook [Army Air Field, McCook, NE] (10/27) ◙ Sgt
Major Dave Bryant is leaving (10/30)

A3/3:1

November 2-14, 1945
(9 letters)

◙ Base will be closed down by
the 15th ▪ Am slated for transfer to Merced, CA ▪
Army requires only 50 points for discharge now (11/2) ◙
Took a spontaneous trip to Salina over the weekend & spent
Sunday with the Freeman family [LeVern Freeman, former
pastor Kirksville First Christian Church] (11/5) ◙ Louis
Garhart got married (11/45)
◙ Ran into Gwen (Mrs Darrell) McClure & 7 week old
Darrell Jr in Herington on their way to her grandparents’
home in Wichita; Darrell still in Germany

Note: Only clearly identifiable people & items of note with letter
or postmark date (not necessarily date of event) are included above.
More often than not, Allen refers to individuals by given or surname
only, rarely both, so they are unidentifiable and events connected
with them have no context.